Device for practicing golf of the type comprising a captive golf ball



July 4, 1950 DEVICE CO THE TYPE BALL Patented July 4, 1 950 UNIF-DU- STATES PATENT *2,514,093 a M v DEVICE Fon PRACTICING GOLF or THE TYPE ooMPRrsING A oAPTrvE com? g BALL William M. Royston, Dayton',l 0hio, assignor to The Prac-Tee Co., Dayton, Ohio, a corporation ofOhioY 1 Claim. l

ticing golf, of the type comprising a captive golf ball.

,v One .object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient' practicing device which is of a strong, durable construction and may be produced at a low cost.

v A further object of the invention is to provide a golf'lpracticing device in which the golf ball, 4when struck, will revolve' freely about a supporting stake.

A further object of the invention is to provide strong durable means for connecting a cable with the ball and with the stake.

Other objects of the invention may appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, of a practicing device embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a detail view, partly in section, of the connection between the cable and the stake; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a detail section showing the connection between the cable and ball.

In these drawings I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention but it is to be understood that the device as a whole, as well as the several parts thereof, may take various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The device comprises a stake 5, preferably of metal, which is adapted to be driven into the ground for a substantial distance but with its upper end portion above the surface of the ground. A ball 6 is connected with the stake by a flexible connecting element 1, the flexible element being so connected with the stake that the ball may revolve freely about the latter. In the particular embodiment here illustrated the stake is provided with an upper end portion 8 of reduced diameter which forms an upwardly facing shoulder 9 on the stake. The upper end of the reduced portion 8 is screw threaded to receive a, head I0 which may be of any suitable character but is here shown as spherical and is provided with a screw threaded socket to receive the threaded end of the stake. A collar II, here shown as an apertured disk, is mounted loosely upon the reduced portion 8 of the stake and rests upon the shoulder 9, and the flexible element 'I is connected with that collar. A blow on the ball, by a golf club, will usually tend to lift the ball and, of course, to fully extend the cable. As a result the collar is lifted more or less with relation to the shoulder 9 on the stake and is thus free to rotate about the stake with a minimum of friction.

Application March 20, 1948, Serial No. 15,984

The connecting elementi preferably comprises asecti'on of steel cable of relatively small diameter and the collar II'is lprovided with a socket to receive one end portion'ofthe vcable and connect the latter therewith'. This socket is formed partly inthe body of the collar as shown-fat I2 in Fig. 2 and partly inla tubular member. I3 rigidly connected with the collar and extending radially therefrom. 'I'he tubularL member. 4may be connected with the collar in any suitable man'.- ner and inthe present instance-it -isfshownlfas formed integral therewith. The tubular member is of a diameter just large enough to permit the insertion of the cable therein and is of compressible, non-resilient material which when compressed will very tightly grip the cable and rmly anchor the same in the collar.

The ball 6 also is provided with a connecting device by means of which the other end of the cable will be firmly attached thereto. In the construction illustrated this connecting device comprises a body portion I4 mounted in the ball and preferably embedded therein when the ball is molded. It is provided with one or more enlarged portions I5 which when embedded in the ball resists any tendency of the connecting device to pull out of the ball and thus anchors the connecting device firmly in the ball. The outer end of the body I4 is arranged close to the surface of the ball and is provided with a tubular extension I6 adapted to receive the adjacent end portion of the cable. Preferably the socket formed by the extension IB extends inwardly beyond the extension into the body of the connecting device. This tubular member I6 is also of relatively thin non-resilient material which when compressed about the cable will very firmly connect the latter therewith. It may be connected with the body in any suitable manner as-by forming it integral therewith.

Preferably the cable 'I and the end portions of the tubular connecting members I3 and I6 are enclosed in a suitable covering, here shown as a tube Il of tough flexible material such as a suitable plastic composition. The intermediate portion of this covering fits snugly about the cable and the end portions thereof extend about the outer end portions of the connecting members thus protecting the cable against exposure to moisture or other injury and providing the device with a smooth finished appearance.

When the device is to be used the stake is driven into the ground and the ball is placed on the ground, or on a tee I8 as shown in Fig. l, at a point which is preferably spaced from the stake a distance slightly less than the length of the cable so as to provide some slack in the latter` 3 When the ball is so positioned the player strikes the same with the golf club in the usual manner and if properly struck the ball will be caused to revolve about the stake at relatively high velocity. The forc'iof th'e blow With which the ball is struck imposes severe strains on. the cable and on the cable connecting devices but the construction of `these devices is such as to strongly resist the separation of the ball from thecable or? tlie separation of the cable from the attaching coll-ar'.-

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to bev understoodthat I do not desire to be limited tof thek details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described iiy ry'ntioii urliat' I claim as new and desire to secure byY Letters Patent is:

A- golf. practicing device comprising a single stake to be driven-.into the ground with its upper end above the surface` ot the ground and` having an annularshoulder adjacent the upper end thereof, a.- collar mounted about said stake,A rotatably supported on-said shoulder and having aradial` socket, a` cmpressible tubular memberrigidly connected with said collar and extending. in radial alinement with said socket outwardly beyond said collar, an elongate flexible .member having one`= end portion thereof extending through 4 said tubular member and into said socket and tightly gripped by said compressible member, a ball, and a connecting device including a body portion imbedded in said ball, having an enliarg'ed` end pbntion adjacent tlfe Center of the ball and extending radially from saidl enlarged portion to a point Within said ball and adjacent the surface of the latter, said connecting device a'vlsc)- having? al tubular portion of compressible materi'el rigid il'tliv and extending radially from the outer end of'v said body portion, the other end of said:- flexiblemem-bers extending into the tubular portion of said* connecting member and being tightly gripped thereby.

WILLIAM M. ROYSTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fil of this patent: 

